Inside Unmanned Systems

AUG-SEP 2018

Inside Unmanned Systems provides actionable business intelligence to decision-makers and influencers operating within the global UAS community. Features include analysis of key technologies, policy/regulatory developments and new product design.

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 75 of 83

76 August/September 2018 unmanned systems
inside
T
he new EU basic aviation regulation, as
it pertains to drones, sets down in stone
the key principles of ensuring safety, se-
curity, privacy, data protection and envi-
ronmental protection. By itself, the basic regu-
lation establishes such things as the registration
threshold for drone operators; operators must
be registered if the drones they operate can
transmit more than 80 Joules of kinetic energy
upon impact with a person.
The basic regulation also requires that drones
be designed in such a way that they cannot put
people at risk. For example, depending on its
weight or area of operation, a drone may need to
be equipped with automated landing features
or collision avoidance systems.
Drone operators are also required to be aware
of all the rules that apply to them, and many op-
erators will have to join national registers, with
their drones marked for identification.
Ver y importantly, the new basic regula-
tion g ives the European Av iation Safet y
Agency (E ASA), which works closely w ith
the European Commission, the authority to
formally guide future developments in the
f ield of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS),
i.e. without the necessity for further high-
level EU legislative approval.
Big Sky Europe?
Peter Gutierrez, Inside
Unmanned SystemsÕ
European Editor, has
written about the
continent's evolving
science and technology
landscape for many
years. He has covered
transport, space policy and
environmental issues from
his home base in Brussels
and reported extensively on
satellite-based navigation
including the GPS, Galileo
and EGNOS programs.
IN BRIEF
After years of legislative
wrangling, the EU has
adopted a new basic
aviation regulation,
updating safety rules
and introducing
the fi rst ever EU-
wide rules for civil
drones. Further, the
basic regulation
empowers the
European Aviation
Safety Agency, on
its own initiative, to
put in place more
comprehensive rules
for drones, rules
now expected to be
adopted by the end
of 2018.
BASIC REGULATION ADOPTED,
UAS PART STILL TO COME
With the key principles outlined in the basic
aviation regulation as a rough guide, EASA and
the European Commission are now proceeding
with the delineation of specific and comprehen-
sive EU-wide rules for civil drones. These rules,
heretofore referred to as the EU UAS regulation,
will address matters such as maximum altitude
and distance limits for drone flight, and how and
by whom operations will need to be authorized.
The rules will specify which operators need to be
registered, who needs more training and which
drones need to have additional safety features.
The aim will be to deliver a UAS regulation
that can be put into force by national authorities
across the continent, enabling the harmoniza-
tion and standardization of the whole European
commercial drone operations market.
Speaking at the EASA Workshop on 'UAS
Standard Scenarios' in Cologne in July,
European Commission Administrator Koen
de Vos said, "We want to open up the drone
services market, and we want to see this trans-
lated into what matters for European citizens—
economic growth and jobs. We believe EASA's
strong and robust global approach is the correct
one, in keeping with the JARUS process."
BRUSSELS VIEW
on EU
Drone
Operations
by PETER GUTIERREZ
Photos courtesy of Peter Gutierrez.